The live-action story of Stranger Things may have reached its enormous cultural moment, but Netflix is clearly not finished with Hawkins.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 has returned for a second season, with the new episodes arriving on Netflix on 17 September 2026.

The animated series takes viewers back to Hawkins and reunites us with younger versions of Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max, along with Nikki and the rest of the Hawkins Investigators Club.

This time, the gang has another paranormal problem to investigate.

Because apparently nobody living in Hawkins is ever allowed to have a quiet school year.

Where season 2 begins

Netflix confirms that the new season follows directly from the first-season finale, after the group defeated the Horde Queen and prevented another gate to the Upside Down from being opened.

Season 2 introduces a new ghostly threat while the kids attempt to return to something resembling normal life, including arcade visits and preparations for Valentine’s Day.

The principal voice cast includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Luca Diaz as Mike, Benjamin Plessala as Will, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max and Odessa A’zion as Nikki.

Why animation makes sense for Stranger Things

One of the clever things about Tales From ’85 is that animation gives Netflix a way to return to the younger Hawkins gang without attempting to pretend that the original actors are still children.

It also gives the franchise freedom to lean even harder into the pop-culture language of the period.

Stranger Things was always built partly from the DNA of 1980s fantasy, horror, science fiction, adventure movies and role-playing games. An animated spin-off can play in that sandbox without simply reproducing the main series.

Netflix renewed the show in April after season 1 reached No. 7 in its global Top 10, with the streamer stating at the time that the premiere ranked among its top 15 animated-series debuts.

Hawkins survives beyond one series

That may be the bigger message behind Tales From ’85.

Stranger Things became far larger than the original pitch about a missing boy, a mysterious girl and something horrible lurking beneath a small Indiana town.

Netflix now has a universe it can explore through different formats and periods.

Whether those extensions can retain what made the original special will depend entirely on the individual stories.

For now, though, fans don’t have to wonder when the next animated adventure begins.

Season 2 of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is streaming now.